Buddha's Group

Energy Materials & Storage Systems (EMS²) Group

Engineering next-generation energy storage from materials to integrated devices

Institute for Materials Discovery (IMD) | University College London (UCL)

The Energy Materials & Storage Systems (EMS²) Group develops innovative materials, interfaces, and device architectures for the next generation of sustainable energy-storage technologies. Our research bridges fundamental materials science and electrochemistry with practical device engineering, with a particular focus on rechargeable batteries, on-chip microbatteries, advanced electrode architectures, and light-accelerated energy-storage systems. We aim to understand and control the fundamental processes that determine battery performance, from ion transport and charge-storage mechanisms to electrode-electrolyte interfaces and degradation, and translate these insights into safer, smarter, and more sustainable energy-storage technologies.

Our Research

Microbatteries & On-Chip Energy Storage

How can we power the next generation of miniaturised intelligent devices?

The rapid development of wearable electronics, implantable medical devices, microsensors, microrobots, and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies creates an increasing demand for compact and high-performance energy-storage systems. Our group develops microscale batteries and energy-storage devices that can be directly integrated with electronic systems. We particularly focus on planar interdigitated electrode architectures that enable short ion-transport distances, efficient charge transfer, and compact device integration.

Our goal is to bridge the gap between high-performance battery materials and their practical integration into systems-on-a-chip and miniaturised autonomous devices.

Our research includes: 3D microelectrode architectures • Interdigitated electrodes • On-chip batteries • Microscale energy storage • Hybrid electrode materials • Device integration

Advanced Manufacturing for Microscale Energy Storage

Can we print energy-storage materials directly onto complex microdevices?

Integrating advanced materials into microscale devices is challenging because conventional fabrication methods often cannot precisely deposit functional materials onto small or complex electrode architectures. We are developing direct-write and micro-plotter-based fabrication strategies that enable precise deposition of a wide range of energy-storage materials onto electrodes with different patterns, geometries, and substrates. This approach creates opportunities for fully printed and customisable microscale energy-storage devices, potentially enabling batteries to be fabricated directly where power is required.

Our technique introduces a versatile direct-write approach that enables precise deposition of diverse materials on arbitrary patterns, shapes, and substrates, enabling an entirely printed fabrication strategy.

3D Porous Electrodes & Interface Engineering

How can electrode architecture unlock better battery performance?

The performance of an energy-storage device depends not only on the chemistry of its active materials but also on how those materials are structured and integrated into electrodes. We engineer three-dimensional porous electrode and current-collector architectures to increase active-material loading, improve electrolyte accessibility, shorten ion-transport pathways, and enhance electrical conductivity.

One of our approaches uses Dynamic Hydrogen Bubble Templating (DHBT) to create highly porous three-dimensional metallic structures. By using hydrogen bubbles generated during electrodeposition as transient templates, we can produce complex porous architectures without additional physical templating materials.

We explore how these engineered structures can improve the energy density, power capability, and cycling stability of both microscale and conventional energy-storage devices.

Safer & Sustainable Batteries

Can we develop batteries that combine safety, sustainability, and long-term performance?

We develop next-generation aqueous rechargeable batteries as safer and potentially more sustainable alternatives for applications where conventional battery technologies face limitations. A major focus of our research is aqueous zinc-based energy storage. We investigate the fundamental processes governing zinc deposition and dissolution and develop strategies to address challenges including dendrite formation, hydrogen evolution, corrosion, passivation, and interfacial instability.

By engineering electrode surfaces, protective interfaces, electrolytes, and three-dimensional electrode architectures, we aim to achieve more uniform metal deposition and enable longer-lasting aqueous batteries.

Our research includes: Zn-ion batteries • Aqueous electrolytes • Zn metal anodes • Artificial interfacial layers • Dendrite suppression • Hydrogen evolution • Electrode-electrolyte interfaces • Long-term cycling.

Light-Accelerated Energy Storage

Can light interact directly with battery materials to accelerate energy storage?

Conventional solar-energy-storage systems typically combine separate photovoltaic and battery components. We are exploring a fundamentally different concept: can light interact directly with electrochemically active materials to influence the charge-storage process?

Some battery electrode materials possess semiconducting properties and can generate photo-induced charge carriers under illumination. Our research investigates the fundamental interaction between light, photoactive electrode materials, ion transport, and electrochemical charge storage.

We design photo-responsive electrode materials and device architectures to explore light-accelerated charging and photo-enhanced electrochemical performance, with the long-term ambition of developing new energy-storage concepts for autonomous and off-grid technologies.

Understanding Batteries While They Operate

From observing performance to understanding why batteries work?

A common theme connecting our research is the fundamental understanding of electrochemical energy-storage mechanisms. We use advanced in-situ/operando and ex-situ characterisation techniques to investigate dynamic changes in energy-storage materials during battery operation.

Our research seeks to understand:

How do ions move through electrode materials?

How do electrode structures evolve during cycling?

What happens at the electrode-electrolyte interface?

Why do batteries degrade?

How can this knowledge guide the design of better materials and devices?

By connecting real-time structural and chemical changes with electrochemical behaviour, we aim to establish fundamental design principles for next-generation energy-storage systems.

Work With Us

We welcome collaborations with academic researchers, industry partners, and technology developers interested in advanced materials and next-generation energy storage. Our group is particularly interested in collaborative opportunities involving battery materials, aqueous electrochemistry, microscale energy storage, advanced manufacturing, operando characterisation, and photo-responsive energy-storage technologies.

EMS² group research is funded by